Collision avoidance programs, specifically those fitted to the Volvo XC60 SUV in the US, have been linked to fewer road accidents in a recent study. According to crash statistics, cars fitted with Volvo’s City Safety program have recorded a lower crash rate compared with other cars.

Results provided by the Highway Loss Data Institute showed the Volvo XC60 had been involved in 27 per cent fewer accidents compared with other SUVs in the segment during the same period.

The report also showed the Volvo XC60 specifically was involved in 19 per cent fewer accidents than other Volvo cars. This proves, to a certain degree, that it’s not simply Volvo drivers that are safer than others, as the XC60 is one of the only Volvo vehicles to feature the City Safety program in the US.

Institute President Adrian Lund said in a recent Automotive News report that the results showed crash avoidance programs can effectively avoid an accident if the driver is distracted. Mr Lund said,

“Driver mistakes are responsible for 90 per cent of crashes. This is the first technology that can reach out to the driver at the moment of danger and bring his mind back to the danger.”

Using sensors and radars in the front bumper, the City Safety program is able to alert the driver and apply the brakes in the event of an impending accident. The program is for slow-speed accidents only and operates at speeds below 30km/h.

The Highway Loss Data Institute has announced it will investigate the effectiveness of higher speed crash avoidance programs later in the year.

City Safety is available on a number of Volvo vehicles in Australia including the Volvo S60V/V60 and the Volvo XC60.